Reunited
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Rebecca and Sam are finally taking their relationship to the next level when guess who shows up at his doorstep? That's right, it's Diane. S/D
1. Chapter 1

Sam had finally done it. Rebecca Howe was finally at his apartment, dressed in a slinky negligee. He didn't even need to ply her with alcohol either. Being a recovering alcoholic, he didn't exactly keep his refrigerator stocked for moments liked this. It had all started off as a normal day.

"Norm!" Called the regulars of the bar. Even non-regulars of the bar seemed to know his name. There wasn't a single person there who didn't like the overweight regular. Even Carla took to him very well despite her caustic remarks. If anyone else were to put him down they would have to answer to her.

"What's up, Mr. Peterson?" Woody asked innocently. Woody was a sweet natured young man from Hanover, Indiana whose naivety made for some very interesting jokes. He didn't always know what was going on around him, but he could always be counted on to tell the truth.

"Hopefully my blood alcohol level. Give me a cold one." Norm said as he took his seat in his regular spot. There was something comforting knowing that that stool was waiting for him time and time again.

"Hello Norman." Frasier spoke up. "Cliff was just enlightening us on the history of the zucchini."

"That's right. It traces back to Biblical times. During his travels, Zachariah came across the vegetable and developed a taste for it. He told all of his friends about it. He wouldn't stop talking about it. He went on and on about it until his friends finally grew tired of hearing about it and named the vegetables after him. Can you imagine lecturing your friends like that?"

"Imagine that, smarty pants." Carla glared at Cliff as she gathered some dirty glasses. Cliff didn't seem bothered as he was accustomed to Carla's sarcasm.

"I don't know who you're referring to, Carla, I simply regale my friends with facts that might come in handy at parties or with their loved ones or here at the bar. I haven't heard any complaints."

"And I'm the Queen of Sheba."

"Now, now Carla, he brings up a valid point." Sam spoke up. " We might use some of his facts one of these days."

Everyone except for Cliff looked at Sam and burst out in laughter.

"Speaking of vegetables, did you know the turnip was so named because they would turn up in the oddest places?" Cliff went on.

More laughter.

"Yeah, like your brain." Carla shot off.

"Cliff, do you ever feel the need to talk to someone? I mean professionally?" Frasier queried

"Eh, we postal workers are made of solid stock. We don't believe in that psychiatric hocus pocus and what have you. No offense, Frasier. But we believe in working things out in our daily walks."

"Exercise can be therapeutic." Frasier nodded. "But still, sometimes it wouldn't hurt to have an outsider's opinion, to freshen the brain if you will."

"Are you offering your services Dr. Crane?" Woody asked as he wiped out a glass.

"Good heavens no. I'd pass him off to a colleague like a hot potato."

And so the bantering continued.

"Sam, may I see you in my office?" Rebecca called out before she shut the door.

"Oooh." The gang teased Sam, who grinned and gave the thumbs up sign as he made his way to the door.

"Sammy's getting lucky." Carla laughed.

"How's that? Is he getting a raise? Lucky dog." Woody complained as everyone shook their heads.

00000

"What's up Becky? Have you decided that you're tired of missing out on the Malone magic?" He grinned as he leaned into her.

"Please Sam, you're making this difficult."

"What is it, sweetheart? You know I'm here to help you."

Rebecca just looked at him for a few minutes.

"Yes, Sam. I will."

"You will, what."

"I will be with you." She closed her eyes.

He grinned. "I knew it! This is terrific. What is this, some kind of trick? You were dead set against it. What made you change your mind."

"This is really embarrassing, but it's been awhile for me. I've been in a slump lately, and I thought you could help me get over it. So will you help me or not"

"Be glad to. Your place or mine?"

"How about your place? I'm in the middle of renovations."

"All right. I'll see you after work. All right." Sam smiled his mega-watt smile once again, and nearly tripped as he made his way out the door.

00000

They began to kiss, when Sam pulled back.

"This isn't right. I need to put some music on. Hold on a second."

On the way back, he lit some candles. It was a classic move for him. It never failed to put the ladies in the mood.

They began to kiss again.

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't know how long I've been waiting for this." He murmured.

"Me too."

"Really?" He asked in between kisses. He moved his hands up and down her back.

"Yes but don't you dare tell anyone."

Sam frowned. "It will be our little secret.

He leaned into her, and she lay down unto the couch.

"Maybe we should take this somewhere else."

"Maybe you're right." Rebecca whispered.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"They'll go away."

The doorbell rang again, frantically.

"I think you should get it, Sam. I'll be right here."

Reluctanlty,Sam got up to answer the door. He was in for the shock of his life when he saw that it was Diane standing before him.


	2. Baby come back

"Who is it, darling?" Rebecca purred as she fumbled around on the couch, trying to decide upon the most attractive pose for Sam,

"It's no one. No one at all. No one that is welcome here." Sam stared at the innocent looking woman in front of him with innocent eyes. "Nothing at all. You stay and don't you worry your pretty head off. I'll be right there." In a hushed tone of voice he whispered to Diane.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Why Sam, it's cold outside, and I think we have a lot to talk about. The least you could do would be is invite me in don't you think? Certainly your lady friend would understand that you can't turn your back on an old friend. It's not like you two won't have any other opportunities to be together." Diane said smugly as she shivered.

Little did she know that it probably would be the only chance he would get to be with Rebecca. If Diane knew what she was ruining,,,what was he he thinking, if. She knew. She had to have known. Things were going right in his life for the first time in a long time and then Diane choose that night of all others to show up. She's a sick, sick woman.

"Well Sam, aren't you going to invite me in? I'm cold you know and it's been a long trip out here."

"That's right you came out here from California, haven't you. But you know what, that's not my problem tonight, sister. Not tonight. See me tomorrow evening. Or the day after tomorrow. Or the day after never. Just you cannot come in way, no how, not going to happen."

And then it happened. Diane began to cry. Sam could have kicked himself, or her better yet, but he could never stand to see a woman cry. Especially not Diane Chambers.

"Give me one minute, sweetheart, Come in. Try not to do any of that crying stuff, will ya?" As he looked at her, he thought of the last time he saw her face as she exited Cheers. She wasn't crying then, but would she have if she had known it would be the last time that they would see each other? If she had known that the ending of the wedding was the end of their relationship would she have cried, just a little, the way she was doing right now on his door step?

"Rebecca, sweetheart, I need to talk to you. You look beautiful by the way." Sam whispered to Rebecca, who was clad in only Sam's throw blanket. "

"You like? It's your turn." Rebecca ran her hand down Sam's shirt and started to unbutton it.

"Woah, sweetheart, I'm afraid we have a little problem. You see I have a little company right now and I can't …"

"So get rid of him."

"I'm not a him." Diane announced herself. Rebecca stared, Sam hid his eyes under his hand, and Diane stood triumphantly in the hall way. Diane Chambers was here to stay.


	3. the meeting

Rebecca covered herself, and stared at the infamous Diane Chambers in front of her. Diane did not seem fazed, as she was expected a flavor of the month in Sam's apartment. She wasn't worried. The woman, attractive as she was, was buttoning her clothes and seemed to be in a rush to leave. Yes, Diane was on home turf and this might not be as bad as she thought.

"So you're Diane." The woman looked up at her.

"Diane Chambers." She offered her hand.

"Rebecca Howe. Manager of Cheers."

"Oh, I see. That makes it convenient for Sam."

"I beg your pardon. It is not a convenience. We have waited three years before coming this far. Not that I owe you an explanation." Rebecca glared at Diane.

"Of course you don't." she said smugly.

"Sam and I are just friends."

"You seem very friendly." Diane remarked.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, we are very good friends. He's my best friend. What you saw isn't what you think you saw."

"I see."

Rebecca paused for a minute. "Well will you tell Sam that I had to leave and that I'll see him at Cheers tomorrow?"

"I'd be glad to."

With that, Rebecca left.

Sam came back in the room, to find only Diane there. "What happened to Rebecca? What did you do to her?"

"The question is what did you do to her? Or more likely what didn't you do to her. It seems my presence came at an inconvenient time for the two of you."

Sam ran his hands through his hair. "Inconvenient? Inconvenient? You walk away from me three years ago so I'd say that this is a little inconvenient!"

"Look Sam, I know that I have some explaining to do…."

"No you don't. Three years you did. But not anymore. I don't care. What part of I don't care don't you get? There is nothing left for us to talk about? I'm doing fine. A few minutes ago I was doing better than fine until you showed up! Your timing really stinks, you know that? You really stink. No, I'm not going to say that. I'm happy for you. You got what you wanted from your life. I'm happy for you. There, I've said my peace. Now why don't you just turn your pretty little head around and go back to wherever it is you came from." Sam surprised himself at the anger he still felt towards the woman whom he nearly married.

"Now Sam, please don't be like that. I didn't come here to stir up the past."

"Then why did you come here? I'm fine. I've moved on. I've met a girl I like. It's taken me three years to get with her and you show up. The bar's fine. The gang's fine. I'm fine. Everyone's fine. So why me? Why now? What do you want from me Diane? I'm just a little tired of playing these sick little games that we used to play."

Diane looked down at the ground.

"Oh, no you don't. Don't you dare start to cry. Don't do it. It's not going to work on me. Cry if you want. It won't bother me a bit." Sam said furiously as he ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"Sam, I came back because I did it. I finally published my book. I'm an author. A best selling author. It's taken me three years but I did what I said I would. And it's because of you. My dream came true and I wouldn't have had it if it weren't for you pushing me on our wedding day. I didn't understand it then. I thought that I wanted to marry you. I really did. But you saw something else, you knew me better than I knew myself. So you let me go. I found myself for the first time in my life. I did it, Sam. I did what I set out to do. I've never been more proud of myself than I am today. And it's all because of you. I wanted to bring you this book, there is a dedication to you in it. It won't change our past, it may not change our future, but it represents our present. It is what it is. It's your name on my work. Your name on my life. Time can't erase that, nor do I wish that it would. Thank you, Sam. You've meant so much to me."

Sam was speechless. He didn't know what to say to Diane. He wasn't sure what to expect from her, but this wasn't it. She was honest, so far at least, straightforward, and sincere. Surely she had a hidden agenda.

""Oh, sweetheart, thank you. That was a real nice thing to say." He smiled as he, against his better judgment, pulled her into an embrace.

Her dream had come true, while his dream of owning the bar hadn't. Funny how life worked. But if it happened to her than maybe it could happen to him. It did feel good being in her arms again. She always smelled so good.

And then before he knew what was happening he found himself kissing Diane. She did not resist.

But he pulled back. She was not Rebecca. What was he to do?


	4. same old same old

"Woah…" Sam pulled away, with Diane not quite ready for him to let her go. " This isn't right."

"But it is right. Don't you see? It felt right, it feels right…it is right. I'm free, you're free, I've done what I needed to do. We can start all over again, Sam. Just you and I. There is nothing there to hold us back. We can just pick up and go forward, proud that we made the right decision for us. What, Sam, what is it?" She looked at her confused former fiancée that she nearly married.

"What is it? Don't tell me it's that woman that was here with you?" Diane scoffed. "I've seen you with women and I've never known you to care about any of them but me. So what is it,, really? "

Sam looked at her without saying a word.

"I know it's been so long and we don't have to go off and get married right away. But look, I'm still wearing your ring! I bet you thought that I wouldn't even have it. But I wear it dear and near to my heart. I do love you Sam Malone and I will be Mrs. Sam…."

"Stop it. Knock it off. I don't want to hear about any Mrs. Sam Malone business. It's been three years. You were supposed to have been gone six months not three years. Did you ever once stop and ask how that might have affected my life? You waltz in here assuming that things will `be just peachy kean. Like I've waited for you and me all these years. Honey I gotta say, I've moved on. Remember when I told you to have a nice life? It seems like you did. Well I had one too."

Diane looked down, unsure of what to say. She was hurt at the harshness in Sam's voice. It was almost as if he were a stranger, not the warm and witty man she was once promised to share her life with. Here stood a bitter man, broken down by the bonds of life. Not everything in his life was what it appeared. What could have been so bad that could have torn him so badly? What did he love so much that would affect him so deeply? Wait, she thought, it was the bar. That woman ….she must be his boss. Sam didn't own Cheers anymore!

"Oh Sam, I'm so sorry. I know about Cheers. I know about that woman. She's your boss, isn't she? You don't own Cheers anymore, do you?"

"Brilliant deduction, Einstein." Sam muttered.

"So, are you trying to sleep with her in hopes of getting the bar back? I think you're sadly mistaken. Women are not animals. They cannot be persuaded to hand over property just because of a man. Women are stronger than that. A woman is…" she stood up, raising her hand in the air.

"Are you quite finished? Wake me up when you are." Sam remarked.

"Sam!" she brushed his arm. ""I'm serious."

"I am too. You can't seriously sleep with a woman and hope to get the bar back. A woman doesn't work like that."

"You don't know what you're talking about so I'm going to give you some helpful advice: shut your trap."

"Shut my trap? Shut my trap? I drive all the way across the country and the best you can do is to tell me is to shut my trap?"

"Shut your pretty little trap. How's that?" Sam got up and began to pace the room.

"You like Rebecca!" Diane accused Sam, who turned around and look her square in the eyes.

"I do not. And remember the trap thing? Now would be a good time to practice it."

"Sam likes Rebecca. Sammy likes Rebecca." Diane said in a singsong voice, as she skipped around the apartment.

"If I like her it's because she knows how to keep quiet. No, she doesn't know how to do that." Sam muttered. "I should have joined a monastery when I had the chance. " Then he thought about what he just said and laughed.

"So you admit that you like her." Diane egged him on, a bit brokenhearted. Not that she would admit that to Sam.

"I admit that I care."

"Ah ha." Diane perked up and pointed in Sam's face. "You care for her but you love me! You love me. Care and love are two different things. Go and have your little fun but when you're with her it's going to be me you're thinking about. When you're kissing her it's going to be my face you see. You love me, Sam Malone. We belong together. We're two of a kind. And you can't help yourself. You're drawn to me. You always have been. And you always will. Mark my words. You'll be back."

Sam laughed indignantly. "Ha. Shows how much you know. I'll never be back for you, Never in a million years. It's over. O-v-e-r. Got that? I'm sorry to tell you this. It's been wonderful seeing you but I really don't know what you were expecting. But I've moved on. I think you should too."

Diane's lip began to tremble. "Is that how you really feel?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm afraid so. I'm sorry."

"Well you go back to Rebecca and I'll go back to California. It seems as if my trip to Boston was in vain. I'm sorry to have troubled you. Good day, Mr. Malone. I'll be leaving here tomorrow."

And with that, Diane Chambers grabbed her things and walked out of Sam's door and out of his life.


	5. Good friends

It was now three thirty in the morning, and Sam knocked on Rebecca's apartment door.

She peeked through the eyehole, and yelled out "Go away Sam."

"Darling, I know it's late but I really need you right now. Please open up."

"No funny business?"

"No funny business. You have my word,. Wow I can't believe I'm saying this." Sam shook his head. 'I will not try anything funny with you."

Rebecca opened up her apartment door and let him in. She felt sorry for him, as he looked terribly stressed and a bit sad. Even his hair wasn't as full as it normally was, a sign that something was wrong in Sam's world.

"I had just poured myself some wine but I can put some coffee on for you." She smiled warmly at her friend.

"That would be nice."

For one moment, while Rebecca was in the kitchen preparing the coffee he thought about grabbing her glass of wine. There was only one woman who'd gotten him to fall of the wagon and it was the same woman who was planting the temptation in his mind again. This glass looked so good. The wine smelled good and he imagined tasted even better. In fact, just one taste wouldn't hurt anyone. Just one…

"Sam! Here you go. Instant coffee, I hope you don't mind." Rebecca remained oblivious to what she had intercepted. But Sam knew and was automatically grateful. He couldn't drink here, not now, not with Rebecca. Heck, she had her own issues and for him to lose his sobriety at her house? He wasn't that big of a heel. He wouldn't do that to their friendship. She didn't know it but she just saved him.

Warily, she let Sam in, where he laid his head on her freshly washed shoulder. She smelled too good to him. Part of him wanted to comment on that, but the part of that had Diane on his mind overruled any animal instincts that lived in him at that moment. Funny affect about Diane, she usually did she seemed to kill certain urges in him. Sometimes they weren't so bad. But right now the one thing that he wanted…being in bed with Rebecca Howe..was not going to happen and that was thanks to Diane Chambers. Sigh.

"Rebecca, can I just lay here. I mean just really lay here with you. No funny business? I just don't want to be alone right now. I can't explain it. " He said as he nestled himself into her shoulders.

"Yes, Sammy, you can stay. You can talk about it if you want. It was Dia…."

"Don't say her name. Do not say Diane Chambers. I never want to hear that name again as long as I live. That woman is the devil. That woman is to be nothing to me. Nothing."

"Poor Sammy. She must be something to you." Rebecca said as she gently rubbed Sam's shoulder." You wouldn't be this upset if she didn't mean something to you."

He stood straight up on the sofa. "You mean…you think…Ha! Boy do you need to get your facts straight, sister. You think I have feelings for Diane? What is it with you women tonight? What is this, a conspiracy to drive Sam Malone right out of his mind? Well it's not going to work. You can keep Diane and conspire all you want. I'll tell you want I told her an hour ago. It is over between us. O-V-E-R. I thought you of all people would understand. I'd be better off alone."

"Sit down, Sam." Rebecca pulled him close to her. "I hate seeing you like this. You're obviously in misery. Everyone that knows you can see it. Everyone but you. Why can't you just get the clouds out of your eyes and see what everyone else can see? You still love this woman. I know she hurt you. But you can work through it. Relationships are hard. They take work. But they wouldn't be worth having if they didn't require a little work now and then."

"Oh yeah? When was your…." Sam looked at the earnest way Rebecca was looking at him and knew that he could not be so cruel as to ask her about her love life. Somehow, when she said it, it made sense. He wanted to believe it was true. Maybe they could just work a little harder. It seems that all he and Diane ever did was work on their relationship and where did it ever get them? What would happen if he took her back? Would it be worth it? There would be good times, that much was certain. But would they be enough to sustain the bad times? Was loving Diane worth taking the risk of giving his heart away yet again? There was only one way to find out. He had to find Diane before she left Boston.

"I'm sorry, I have to go now." Sam stood up.

"Now? You just got here."

"Yeah…I've got something that just won't wait. Wish me luck." Sam smiled as he walked out of Rebecca's apartment. He dug out the card that Diane had left him and prepared to tell the taxi driver that address. It was now or never. He couldn't let Diane leave like this. Not without him telling her how he felt about her. How did he feel about her? Well, he'd probably find out along with Diane he supposed. But he wouldn't waste another three years without letting Diane know something, anything. He'd made that mistake before and he sure wasn't going to do that again. Here was his chance, and he was going to give it his best shot. What did he have to lose, other than his heart?


	6. you can go home again

Sam pulled up to Diane's apartment and knocked on the door furiously.

"Let me in. I know you're there. It's me, Sam." He added, knowing she'd be cautious at this late hour.

The lights came on, but still no one answered the door.

"Diane, let me in. Don't make me sit outside and beg. I just want to talk to you before you leave. You leaving would be a big mistake. Big. Huge. We're not finished. There's so much I want to say to you. I don't think your neighbors would appreciate me saying it to you right now. Why don't you let me in so we can talk?"

Exasperated, he slung along a wall until his backside reached a corner and he hit the floor. What would he do now?

Finally the door opened, and a smiling Diane welcomed him in with both arms wide open.

"Oh, Sam."

""I didn't think you were going to let me in for a minute," laughed the former Red Sox relief pitcher.

"I didn't think I would either."

"What changed your mind?"

"I don't know. It is a woman's prerogative to change her mind, isn't it?" Diane teased him. "Now before you begin, I have one question for you and I'd like an honest answer. It's about that woman, Rebecca Howe. You two were going to be intimate. Do you want her?"

Sam looked down at the floor, knowing there was no easy answer to this question. "I want her body, yes, I'm not going to lie."

"Sam Malone you can just…."

"But with you I want your mind and your heart too, everything else that comes with your body. If that makes sense. God knows there's a lot more that comes with it but I want it all."

Diane smiled. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Sam. I never knew you felt like that about me. What is it about me that you like the most?"

"Oh Geesh, there you go again, complicating a perfectly good statement. I just told you how I felt. Why can't you accept that?"

"And why can't you expand on it? Would it kill you to put a little thought into your words? It might bring us closer and don't you think that it might be worth the effort?"

Sam sighed. "Okay. I like about you the most….you drive me crazy….out of my mind crazy…you make me sick to my stomach crazy."

Diane frowned. "I thought this was supposed to be nice."

"There's a nice part in here. You make me sick and crazy but I like it. You challenge me to be a better person. You keep me guessing on what kind of woman you're going to be each day. Maybe and just maybe I can be the kind of guy you deserve. I'm sorry I don't always tell you that but I feel lucky to be the guy who gets to hold you at the end of the day. I am proud of you and of the life you've made for yourself and I just hope there is room for me in your life. I'd be honored if there's room for me, as a matter of fact."

Diane sighed out of happiness. This was what she'd waited years to hear from her beloved. So he did get her. Maybe it was time, maybe it was distance, maybe it was love but somehow he knew exactly what she needed to hear. The missing pieces that had never been there before had been found. And she didn't have to pry it from him or spell it out for him. He just knew what she needed to hear and he'd said it. Coming home was a glorious thing.

"Sam, I have one request."

"Oh, God, what?" He was filled with dread, knowing she would likely tell him what to say next or correct what he had said. It didn't matter, whatever he had said just wasn't good enough for her. Sometimes he got mad at himself for not being able to be as clever or as witty as the guys she used to date. Maybe he could try to bring out a book of poetry and read it once in awhile if that would make her happy.

"Come in and help me unfold my blankets. "

"What?"

She looked at him mischievously. "I said come with me and help me with my blankets. "

"Ahhh." Sam broke out in a big grin and ran after her. The poetry book, while a good idea, would have to wait. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Diane Chambers and Sam Malone were now officially reunited. And it felt so good.


End file.
